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  1. #31
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    You can pick up Dc welders for a few hundred bucks. AC sticks are dirt cheap. That'll help you out with steel at least, certainly a lot quicker than oxy. Welding aly with oxy isn't that easy though.

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by sacc51 View Post
    Welding aly with oxy isn't that easy though.
    No I don't it expect it to be. I've watched a couple of guys doing it on YouTube. It LOOKS easy, but it always does when an expert is doing it. Gotta find some Ali rods and flux too.
    Chris

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    Thanks to everyone who chimed in with advice. I reckon the Token Tools Alupulse 210 is probably the one I would settle on. However, it's going to cost me around $2K by the time I get a cylinder, helmet & gloves as well. For now I've decided to upgrade my oxy-LPG setup to oxy-acetylene. All I needed was a reg, new hoses and a couple of acetylene welding tips. I got those items and a swap-and-go acetylene cylinder at Bunnings today. Last Christmas I replaced the hand-piece, mixer and flashback arrestors, so I basically have all new gear.

    So now I'm hoping to teach myself to fusion weld steel and aluminium (with a little help from YouTube).
    A rethink may be in order. Oxy Acetylene fusion welding will always have a place in the arsenal, but it most definitely is not the right choice for your needs. It will cost you an absolute fortune in Acetylene - particularly at Bunnings prices and you will be very prone to distortion as well as being exceptionally slow to weld with. Your chosen metals were Steel, Stainless Steel and Aluminium in thicknesses up to 10mm as I recall. The suitability of Oxy Acetylene for these I would rate as good for steel, poor for stainless and aluminium, particularly at the thin and thick edges of the range. Stainless and Aluminium both require flux that is both corrosive and hard to procure these days as nobody really does that type of work anymore, with good reason too.
    Stick welding will be your cheapest option at entry level, $300ish buys a DC inverter with lift arc DC tig (so no tigging of Aluminium), next up would be a combination MIG, stick Lift arc Tig combo machine, probably an investment of $1000 upwards. Next up from that would be an AC/DC Tig, if it will conduct electricity, then TIG will weld it pretty much as well as having stick welding capability. The beauty of stick welding is that it has the ability to change materials (even Aluminium to some extent although there are much better processes) with a simple change of electrode, while an AC/DC Tig will do the same by simply changing filler materials and will astound you with the degree of control and finesse possible.
    Oxy Acetylene welding is probably the worst choice for your planned operations I would have to say.

  4. #34
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    Thanks Karl,
    I'm well aware that this setup won't weld 10mm material. I've been oxy-LPG brazing for nearly 40 years and I know how long it takes (and how much gas) to get a thick workpiece up to temperature. But for $150 (not including the cylinder deposit) I now at least have the possibility to fusion weld steel and aluminium. A bit of experimentation will tell me what thickness of material is practical. Blackwoods sell aluminium flux.

    If I find the need to weld material that is beyond the capability of this setup I will revisit the TIG welder. Hopefully by then my oxy-acet will have taught me good puddle control. I can't see myself ever needing a stick welder. However MIG might come in handy.

    Re Bunnings gas prices- I get a pretty good staff family discount.
    Chris

  5. #35
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    I have read of welding aly with DC Tig, and there are a few video around.

    I've tried aluminium stick welding. The rods were quite expensive from memory so I only bought half a dozen. My try outs weren't that successful, all I managed to do really was a series of tacks.

    Perhaps Graham can shed some light on stick welding aluminium.

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by sacc51 View Post
    I have read of welding aly with DC Tig, and there are a few video around.

    I've tried aluminium stick welding. The rods were quite expensive from memory so I only bought half a dozen. My try outs weren't that successful, all I managed to do really was a series of tacks.

    Perhaps Graham can shed some light on stick welding aluminium.
    There are a few youtube videos floating around showing stick welding of Aluminium - avoid any by ChuckE2009 if you can. It is a process that consumes electrodes at an alarming rate and gives a weld that is not aesthetically pleasing but will serve its purpose. Like oxy welding of Aluminium, it is a process that has been largely superceded by other better methods, but nevertheless is still present in the toolbox.
    Try this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNiKJZkdDTA

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